Sales of new homes rose 2.6% in January.

It was the second consecutive monthly increase, the government said, following a 1.3% sales gain last December. New single-family homes were sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 620,000 units in January. In addition, the median price of a new home soared 7.9% in January to $84,500, the highest percentage increase in almost 20 years, according to the Commerce and Housing and Urban Development departments.